Egypt's planning minister meets with EU ambassador to discuss enhancing joint relations

CAIRO - 8 June 2021: Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala El-Said conferred with EU Ambassador in Cairo Christian Berger and his accompanying delegation over means of enhancing joint relations and Egypt's plans to increase investments in the coming phase.

According to a ministry statement released on Monday, El-Said said that the key feature in Egypt's investment plan for the current fiscal year is increasing investments in the human capital especially in education and healthcare, and other logistical sectors.

The official in Charge of Cooperation at the EU in Cairo Ibrahim El Afia and Director of Governance and Gender Equality Program Neven Ahmed attended the meeting.

During the meeting, El-Said reviewed the preemptive strategies adopted by the ministry to relieve the economic and social impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Egyptian economy. She asserted that Egypt's strategy in this regard was based on striking a balance between the citizens' health and economic activity.

The minister also briefed the EU ambassador on Egypt's structural reforms, noting that the Egyptian government was committed to following up on the second phase of the economic reform program in a bid to create new job opportunities, improve the business climate and enhance local industries.

El-Said tackled Egypt's Vision 2030, explaining that the process of modernization continues, according to changes on the local, regional and international levels, noting the participatory effort undertaken by the ministry, in cooperation with all ministries and all stakeholders from the private sector and civil society, in updating the vision.

The meeting also covered the current EU programs and proposals for pushing forward cooperation with Egypt in the coming period.

The EU ambassador, for his part, praised relations with Egypt, which he sees as a basic partner for the EU in the Middle East. He also voiced hope over deepening partnership with Egypt in all fields.